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Results:
Arroyo overwhelms late replacement Rodriguez
McWilliams Arroyo had full training camp. He had all the preparation. And in less than five rounds, he became the interim WBC flyweight world champion at the Canelo Alvarez-Avni Yildirim main co-event at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Saturday.
It became clear early on that Arroyo also had the realistic advantage against Abraham Rodriguez, a late replacement who arrived in Miami on Friday.
And in the fourth round, it showed. Arroyo (21-4, 16 KOs) beat Rodriguez (27-3, 13 KOs), of Tijuana, Mexico, throughout the round, ultimately forcing him to a knee and knocking him down. The assault continued in the fifth round, although Rodriguez held up well given the lack of time to train properly. This led to Rodriguez’s corner giving up the white towel in the middle of the fifth round to stop the one-sided bout.
Arroyo, from Fajardo, Puerto Rico, was dominant throughout a fight that was supposed to be against Julio Cesar Martinez.
Martinez had to withdraw from the fight on Thursday due to a small fracture to his right hand suffered during a fight session. He had hoped to continue training, but the injury worsened earlier this week.
After Arroyo’s mighty victory, he may be able to fight Martinez later this year.
It was Rodriguez’s first loss since 2018 against Angel Acosta, also the last time he fought in the United States. This fight was for the WBO junior flyweight title. This time, for another belt, the result was similar.
This fight represented Arroyo’s fourth consecutive victory.
Forrest recovers a draw against Zhang
Jerry Forrest fell once. Twice. Three times in three rounds. And yet the heavyweight kept getting up. Continued to endure the first assaults and the power of Zhilei Zhang. Keep coming to Zhang – and eventually Forrest worked his way to a tie that felt like a win.
Forrest and Zhang finished with a majority toss, with Judges Rocky Young and Fernando Barbosa scoring the bout 93-93 and Rose Lacend giving the bout to Forrest, 95-93. After the fight, Forrest celebrated as if he had won and – even before the scores were announced – backfliped into the ring.
Zhang, who looked like he was going for an easy win with a big advantage in the first three laps, kept his unbeaten record. Barely.
What looked like an explosive fight at first turned into a hugfest in the middle of the rounds, with Zhang (22-0-1, 17 KOs) and Forrest (26-4-1, 20 KOs) looking quite exhausted at the middle of the sixth. This continued until the seventh, when Forrest landed 26 punches versus nine for Zhang, according to CompuBox.
Forrest, of Newport News, Va., Rallied after a few tough first laps, in which he was knocked down three times. Zhang, from Zhoukou, China, was cut off by a head butt in the eighth.
Despite the big blows Forrest absorbed and the early knockdowns, Forrest appeared to be the most active and conditioned fighter late.
Forrest was also helped by a point deducted from Zhang in the ninth round for holding Forrest’s neck. This point ended up being a major difference in the fight and was apparently the result of what appeared to be Zhang’s exhaustion over the past four rounds.
Pacheco dominates Gomez in unanimous decision
Diego Pacheco might have wanted the KO. The 19-year-old had to settle for a unanimous decision over veteran Rodolfo Gomez Jr. by a 79-73 margin closer than expected on the judges’ scorecards in a super middleweight fight.
Pacheco (11-0, 8 KOs), of Los Angeles, landed some good punches, including some nice uppercuts throughout the fight, but it was only the third time he had walked the distance and only the second time in his career beyond the fourth round.
Gomez (14-5-1, 10 KOs), of Laredo, Texas, was a good test for Pacheco. Gomez connected with big punches and seemed to frustrate Pacheco on and off. It was also a good job for Pacheco in his first full fight in eight rounds. Gomez has given Pacheco enough for him to now lean on him as he prepares for his next fight.
It was Gomez’s first loss since September 24, 2016, when he lost to Roberto Ramirez Uriarte by unanimous decision.
Castro demolishes Moraga in two towers
Marc Castro needed a punch, eight seconds and a left jab. That’s all it took for the young lightweight prospect to topple UFC veteran John Moraga in the first round. From there, it was only a matter of time for Castro, the much-vaunted amateur fighter in his second professional fight.
Castro (2-0, 2 KOs), of Fresno, Calif., Knocked down Moraga (1-3, 1 KO) three times in two rounds to record the knockout, ending the fight with a left uppercut.
Moraga, of Phoenix, had an impressive career in MMA, with a 19-7 record and a UFC flyweight title in 2013 which he lost to Demetrious Johnson. His first knockout loss in boxing was Moraga’s third loss in four professional fights.
Castro, 21, is still very, very early in his professional career, but star fighter’s friend Ryan Garcia has made it easier for an overwhelmed opponent.
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